II. THE ANOINTING AND THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION

The central purpose of God’s salvation is to work Himself into human beings and be mingled with them as one. Likewise, the function of the anointing is to anoint God into us, so that we may be mingled with God as one. Therefore, practically speaking, the purpose of God’s salvation is achieved through the anointing. If there is no anointing, the purpose of God’s salvation can never be fulfilled. The anointing is thus a significant factor in the entire salvation of God.

When the Triune God came into us as the Holy Spirit, He became mingled with us. Thus, the purpose of His salvation—the mingling of God and man—is accomplished in us in a practical way.

However, the work of God to mingle Himself with man is not an instantaneous process. Since we were regenerated and the Holy Spirit entered into us, this mingling has been going on continuously. Throughout the entire lifetime of a Christian, all the work of the Holy Spirit upon him is to fulfill the work of mingling God with man.

How does the Holy Spirit work this mingling into us? He does it by anointing us as the ointment. We have said that the moving of the Holy Spirit means the anointing. He is not motionless within us, but is ever-moving and ever-active. This movement and action is a kind of anointing, which anoints more and more of God into us. Hence, the more the Holy Spirit anoints us, the more God can mingle with us.

III. THE ANOINTING AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF LIFE

[There is a very close relationship between the anointing and the fellowship of life. The fellowship of life is the flowing of life, the flowing together of God and all those possessing His life. The anointing is the mingling of God with all those belonging to Him. The purpose of the flowing of life is to flow God into us, while the purpose of the anointing is to anoint God into us. These two are two aspects of one thing; they are very closely related and difficult to separate.

Let us now see why the anointing and the fellowship of life are two aspects of the same thing. We know that God is life, and God is the Spirit. Concerning God as life, He flows in us unceasingly—this is the fellowship of life. Concerning God as the Spirit, He moves in us continually—this is the anointing. However, life and the Spirit are inseparable, for the Spirit includes life, and life is in the Spirit. Life is the content of the Spirit, and the Spirit is the reality of life. These two are the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2), which is two-in-one and indivisible. Therefore, the fellowship of life and the anointing are also inseparable, being two aspects of one thing.]

IV. THE ANOINTING AND THE APPLYING OF THE BLOOD

[A very close relationship also exists between the anointing and applying the blood. The purpose of the anointing is to anoint God into us, that we may have fellowship with God and be mingled and united with God.] When speaking of maintaining the fellowship, the New Testament brings up the matters of sprinkling the blood and applying the ointment. The sprinkling of the blood is to cleanse away all that should not be there. The anointing of the ointment is to anoint us with the elements of God, even with God Himself. It is just like someone painting furniture. As a result of the painting action, the paint is applied to the furniture. The Spirit coming to man is God coming to man. And by the Spirit moving and anointing in man, God is wrought into man.

Therefore, on the negative side, the blood cleanses away all the things that we should not have. On the positive side, the ointment anoints us with what we should have. What we should not have are the sins, and what we should have is God Himself. By the continual cleansing and anointing of the blood and the ointment, we maintain our union with the Lord always.

[The more we apply the blood and allow it to wash us continually, the more we will experience the anointing and feel the living presence and moving of God; thus, we will have fellowship with God. Therefore, the anointing and the applying of the blood are also inseparable.]

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About Living Stream Ministry

Living Stream Ministry publishes the works of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, providing the authoritative and definitive collections of treasures from these two servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. The writings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee focus on the enjoyment of the divine life, which all the believers possess, and on the building up of the church, the goal of God's work with man in this age.